Once Upon a Galaxy
by theatregeek001
Summary: A re-imagining of the way the Doctor and Rose met and fell in love. In the kingdom of Albanero, a young princess searches for the answer to save her land. At the beginning of her journey she meets a man who travels in a blue box, and he agrees to help her with her quest. A fairytale starring the Tenth Doctor and Rose.
1. Once Upon a Time

Once Upon a Galaxy

Summary: In the kingdom of Albanero, a young princess searches for the answer to save her land. At the beginning of her journey she meets a man who travels in a blue box, and he agrees to help her with her quest. A fairytale starring the Tenth Doctor and Rose.

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who. That all belongs to BBC.

Author's Note; I got inspired to write this after watching Once Upon a Time. I may pull ideas and influences from that show, as well as try to tie in subtle things from the Doctor Who franchise, but the majority of this story will be made up of my own accord, and will hopefully be a rather exciting adventure of love and magic. Enjoy!

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Once Upon a Time

The doors to the TARDIS shut behind him. He turned back, almost hesitant to walk away from it, but there was something inside of him that was egging him forward, insisting he continue through the woods and find what awaited him. With a sigh the Doctor stepped on twigs and dirt. He heard the distant buzz of bees and the cooing of doves as he passed tree after tree, trying to figure out where in the world the TARDIS had landed him.

He was supposed to be in Fiendore – a planet known for its brilliant sunset and enchanted waters. The Doctor had planned on resting there after a particularly hazardous endeavor on a distant satellite two thousand years in the future. The TARDIS had almost been lost and he barely escaped unscathed, and he decided that, for once, he would rest for a day before continuing on and traveling amongst the stars.

This was most definitely NOT Fiendore. The forest alone told him that. It was sunset and it most definitely not brilliant, and the smell in the air was almost smoky. There was no water anywhere he could see. He wasn't sure why he felt so drawn to this place, and the logical part of him told him he should probably turn around. The adventurous idiot in him, however, was moving his legs further away from the blue police box and toward an unknown land.

A boulder stood in his path as he continued on. His brow furrowed and he thought about using his sonic screwdriver to just blow it up and make it easier for him to maneuver through, but the second he held it in front of him he was stopped by ten guards who had been hiding in the trees. They held bayonets and were dressed in chainmail, complete with a metal helmet and a beaver drawn to cover their faces. The Doctor's eyes widened as the men raced toward him.

"ARMS UP." One cried, and the Doctor knew he had to comply or he would be shot at. Reluctantly he raised his palms and gave the soldiers a cheeky grin.

"Hello!" I said. "I'm the Doctor, sorry to bother you but I was—" he began to say. One guard cut him off by raising his bayonet to the Doctor's throat and applying just enough pressure to his Adam's apple that talking became exceedingly difficult.

"Take him to his Majesty." Another commanded and all the guards let out a gruff noise as two of them grabbed hold of the Doctor's arms and began to drag him along. The one guard kept his bayonet placed securely on the Doctor's throat so he couldn't try to protest, but his mind was running at a thousand miles an hour trying to figure out how to work this out.

They traveled away from the forest in silence. The only noise the Doctor heard was the synchronized steps each soldier took, and the occasional clank of a bayonet against a stone or another soldier. He watched his surroundings carefully, noting each tree and each landmark as a way to get back to the TARDIS when the time came. As they continued on, however, the landmarks blurred together and the Doctor began to feel a fuzzy feeling cloud his train of thought. He was growing tired, something that never ever happened, and annoyance began to rise in his stomach as they approached iron gates fifteen feet tall.

Two soldiers dressed in military garb waited on either side of the gate door. Swords were enclosed in a sheath against their hip and they had a serious, if not mechanical, look plastered on their face as the other guards approached with the Doctor. One gave the soldiers a nod and pounded his chest, and the soldier stepped aside and allowed the group access to the gates. They swung open with a small creak and the guards led the Doctor down an abandoned street that smelled of urine and blood. The Doctor noticed the tavern lights were on and he could hear the shouts of drunken men from behind the walls. Children were carrying a bucket of brown water from the well back to their home, and the Doctor cringed when he saw how thin they were. An old butcher was tossing out so much rotten meat it began to give the Doctor a stomach ache, and he could see a group of prostitutes talking to a creepy old man by an alleyway. As they walked through the darkness the smell began to dilute itself. The Doctor realized they were moving away from the common part of the village and up through a small hill that had a church on one side of it. The bell rang against the silent air, echoing and alerting the people above and below that a new hour had begun. The Doctor waited and let himself continue to be dragged through the fields of grass up to the top of a hill, where an ominous castle prominently sat, overlooking the entire valley below.

His stomach was churning. He knew he should wait to be properly introduced before he tried to do anything by means of escaping. As the castle's moat was lowered and the iron bars with menacing teeth were raised to allow everyone inside, the Doctor felt his hearts quicken. He needed to meet the king they were taking him to, explain the misunderstanding, and be on his way. Although, he wasn't entirely sure what planet he was on, so there was a voice in his head telling him it might not be so black and white.

The stone ground was cold even through the Doctor's chucks, and that was the first time he noticed just how crisp the air was. His breath was almost ice as he exhaled, and his cheeks were beginning to feel the effects of the nipping of the air, and his hair was most likely frosted over at the tips. He smirked to himself, thinking this could be a new trend he could try and set once he left this place. Nothing lit their way but some lanterns that dangled from wrought iron hooks against the stone walls.

Seven of the ten soldiers took their posts along the hallway as they brought the Doctor closer to the King's meeting room. The marble doors seemed out of place against the stone walls, and one soldier gave a special code by tapping his bayonet against the doors and they swung open. Before him, the Doctor could see a man in a long ruby cape lined with soft fur sitting on a very extravagant throne.

"My lord," the soldier at the front addressed. "We have an intruder to our land." He said. The man, whom the Doctor could only assume was the King, raised his eyes very slowly and placed them on the Doctor. He remained calm and nodded his head, urging the soldier to continue speaking.

"He was found in the woods. Wandering around and heading toward our village." He said. Once again, the King nodded. "He says his name is the Doctor."

The King's mouth twisted into a sadistic smile.

"Doctor Who?" he asked. His voice sent a chill down the Doctor's spine. It was low and reverberated against the walls. Snake-like, that was the only way to describe it. The Doctor's face broke into a grin regardless. He loved when people asked him that question.

"Just the Doctor." He replied. The man in the cape smirked and sat up a little in his throne.

"Well, then, _Doctor_…" he began, making sure to put extra emphasis on his name. "What do you want in Albanero?" The Doctor's eyes widened.

"Albanero? What planet is that on?" he asked, very interested. The King gave him a quizzical look and relaxed in his seat.

"I ask the questions, Doctor." He said. The Doctor narrowed his eyes. "Now, what do you want with my kingdom?" he asked again.

"Nothing. I simply mixed up some things on my ship and am in the wrong place at the wrong time." He said, adding a wink at the end. Charm them into obliging, that was his philosophy. The King stared at Doctor again, and his mouth began to curve downward in a most severe frown.

"I made traveling by sea impossible in this realm." He bellowed, rising out of his throne and whisking down the stairs so he was face to face with the Doctor. The Doctor began to feel caution rise inside of him. Something about this man wasn't right, but rather than interrogate him he decided to play along, to test his bait and see where it would lead him.

"Noooooo!" he said almost mockingly. "I didn't sail on a ship. I came on my TARDIS, actually. If you let me go I will go back to it and get out of your hair." He promised. The King growled and turned his attention to the soldiers.

"Lock him in the dungeons." He commanded. The Doctor groaned.

"I promise if you just let me back to my ship I'll go." The Doctor urged as the soldiers reapplied their grip on his arms. The King was not listening. He was traveling back to sit down in his throne and gave a wave of his hand. The soldiers opened the doors and pulled the Doctor along with them. They took him down a series of old wooden stairs and threw him, quite literally, into a dank cellar with nothing but a small window so high up the Doctor could barely see out of it. There was nothing to light it but a torch, but its fire was nearly dead. The soldiers didn't say anything as they shut the cellar door and walked back up the stairs. The Doctor sighed.

"Dammit." He whispered. Something bad was happening here. He had never heard of the kingdom of Albanero before, and he certainly had no idea what kind of creatures lived in it. The King looked human, but then again so did he, so there was no telling what species he actually was.

The King, the Doctor had noted, was also not a very nice man. He was able to put two and two together, and it was leaving him with a sinking feeling in his stomach. The village was dark and under kept. It smelled horrid, and the only glimpse of life he had seen was not in good shape. Where was the food? Where were the people? It was a dark kingdom, the castle alone was enough to make that clear, and there didn't appear to be any hope of redemption so long as it was ruled by this man. There was something about this King that gave the Doctor an uneasy feeling. Somehow he doubted the exclusion of sea-travel in this realm was the worst thing he had done, or was yet to do.

Realm. The King had said this was a realm. There was only one planet the Doctor knew of that had multiple realms and that thought made his heart leap to his throat.

Earth.

He hadn't been to Earth in years. It wasn't a choice he consciously made, he had just been preoccupied with other planets and other grand adventures. But he had always had the best adventures on Earth, and the thought of being back gave him a giddy rush of adrenaline despite the circumstances he found himself in.

If this was Earth, then most likely the King and everyone else here was human. If this was Earth, it wasn't the ninth dimension, where his past companions like Sarah Jane lived. This was a different world entirely, and most likely a world the Doctor knew nothing about. This made him groan. He still had his sonic and he knew that meant he could easily escape this cellar, go back to the TARDIS and leave before he has a true problem on his hands, but he is the Doctor. He can sense danger a mile away, and there is something telling him he has to stay here. If he doesn't, innocent people could suffer because of this King.

He needed a plan. He needed a way to get back to the TARDIS and look up as much as he possibly could about Albanero. He felt his hearts race against his chest as he paced the cellar, and ultimately he decided some of his best plans aren't planned at all. Sometimes he just had to wing it, and everything fell into place. He clenched his jaw as he held out his sonic screwdriver and lit the tip of it. The wooden board that held the door in place fell off and the Doctor easily pushed open the cellar. He took one look left and right before he stepped out and, sonic in hand, and crept up the stairs to try and find out some useful information.

There was no one in sight, however, and the pink rays of dawn began to seep their way through the cracks in the castle walls. From outside he could hear a chaotic bustle of noise, and the Doctor made his way to one of the cracks. He used his sonic screwdriver on one of the stones and was able to safely remove it and peer down into the front of the castle by the moat and iron toothed gate.

The King sat in a different throne on a balcony to the right of the moat. It appeared to be the backdoor of his chamber, with gray curtains blowing softly in the icy breeze behind him. The Doctor's gaze looked down, where a guillotine he hadn't noticed the night before was stretching its long neck up toward the sky, the blade at the end casting a dangerous shadow over the bench beneath it. A scream was heard, a woman, and the Doctor watched as two guards brought her toward the guillotine and threw her down on her knees. Her hands were bounded with rope, and the Doctor felt a fury build inside of him. The Bailiff addressed her.

"Mary Elizabeth Wright, you have been summoned to appear before his Majesty, King James of Albanero. You have been sentenced to execution for your crimes against the crown, which include forgery, prostitution, and foul play with a local sheriff by the court of law in the name of his Majesty, King James." The Bailiff read from a scroll. The Doctor wasted no time. He knew what came next, and the only way to stop it. As fast as he could he ran toward the entrance, ready to interrupt.

Mary Elizabeth wept as the Bailiff read the words to her. Her hands were shaking violently and she curled into a ball as the tears formed a pool on her dress.

"I-I-have d-d-d-one n-no such th-thing." She whimpered, and the King cleared his throat. The Bailiff took notice and held his hand up to silence her.

"You may be allowed one minute for any final words." He said. The woman screeched out a sob and began to swear, screaming and writhing within her constraints. The guards lifted her off of the ground and placed her firmly by the bench, struggling with her to lower to head on it and await death.

"STOP." The voice of the Doctor sounded through the walls. The King tensed and rose. Three guards tried to grab hold of the Doctor but he threw them off of him with ease, his eyes burning into the eyes of the King. "Stop it all." He said. The King hissed in response. More guards came and the Doctor took care of them too, and after a few minutes he ran to Mary Elizabeth and unbounded her hands. She was about to thank the Doctor when he felt a blow come to his head and he stumbled forward. She caught him and screamed, sending his head spinning even more, and when he finally looked up he saw the King and one guard who had stood back up staring at him. The King nodded, and the guard picked up the Doctor and led him toward the guillotine. The Doctor's mind was swimming in plans, and just as the guard was about to place his head on the bench, he managed to push aside all the dizziness and pull the guard's arm behind him. He cried out in pain and the Doctor threw his head down on the bench and looked back at the King.

"Impressive." He told the Doctor, whose grip on the guard tightened.

"I have some questions for you, your Majesty." The Doctor said, sarcasm lining each word. The King frowned.

"Alright." He said slowly. If only the Doctor knew the fear that was gripping him. This was the man he was always afraid would come.

"When was the last time you visited the village in your kingdom? My guess is it's been a while, because let me tell you it's nearly impossible to live in." He sneered. The King stayed silent. The Doctor felt his rage boil over. If he was going to save these people, he needed to be the Oncoming Storm. Something told him this King wasn't one to negotiate. He waited but the King continued to say nothing. The Doctor decided to take it one step further.

"If you don't answer me I will drop this on his head." He said, and looked up toward the guillotine before looking back down at the guard. The King nodded.

"That is not necessary." He muttered. The Doctor looked at him for a moment, and then it clicked.

"NO!" He shouted, but the King was already on it. He snapped his fingers and the guillotine flew down, slicing the guards head clean off. The Doctor stared at the scene in shock and Mary Elizabeth cried again. The Doctor looked at the King slowly. His insides were beyond enraged, and all he wanted to do was figure out a way to get rid of him. As he tried to lunge toward him, the King snapped his fingers again and vines appeared out of thin air. The Doctor flew back against the wall as the vines wrapped themselves around his arms, and with a clenched jaw he looked directly into the King's eye.

"Magic." The King boasted, and snapped his fingers again. The vines tightened their grip and the Doctor knew struggling could possibly make him suffocate himself so he stayed still, eyes glued to the King as he gave an evil grin. With a wave of his hand the decapitated body of the guard was raised and tossed aside, and the King never took his eyes off of the Doctor when he waved his hand again, binding Mary Elizabeth's neck to the guillotine. The Doctor shook his head.

"Wait, stop." He begged. Mary Elizabeth continued to scream, and the Doctor continued to plead with the King. "Listen to me. Don't do this." He said. The King cocked his head to the side.

"Show me that ship you came on, and she goes free." The King bargained. The Doctor pursed his lips as the vines tightened their grip again. What would the King possibly want with the TARDIS? Whatever it was, it couldn't be good. The Doctor knew more than him though, about Time and Space and everything in between. He knew that he could make the King play the fool, and so he nodded his head. There was no way anyone else was going to die if he had anything to say about it.

"Okay." The Doctor said. "Let her go."

The King grinned diabolically at the Doctor once he got the answer he wanted. Then, in a twisted turn of events, he snapped his fingers and the blade fell once more. The screaming ceased instantly and the Doctor felt his hearts nearly burst in rage.

"NO!" He cried. The King hissed and let go of his hold on the vines. The Doctor fell to the ground. Before he could stand, the King placed his boot on his hand and stomped down. Pain shot through the Doctor but he clenched his jaw to stop from letting out a noise. He glared at the King as he stood up. He was shaking he was so angry.

He had no idea what was going on in this kingdom, but they clearly need help. King James was a monster. As the Doctor looked at him, he began to wonder just how many decapitations this man had ordered, and that made his blood boil even more. The fact that he was able to use magic added fire to the flame already burning in the Doctor, and there was a desire inside of him now to save this land. To destroy this King. To avenge any deaths he may have caused.

He had to play the cards right, though, or it was all fall to pieces. So when the King requested once more to be taken to the TARDIS, the Doctor knew what his only option was.

And it was the biggest mistake he could have made.

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It had been two days since he arrived in Albanero, and the Doctor awoke with a throbbing headache. Which was strange to begin with, considering he is a Time Lord and illness rarely affected him. Nevertheless, the more the Doctor sat up the more severe the throb in his head became, and he had to lie back down to try and sooth it.

It all came flooding back to him at once, and the Doctor let out a cry of pain as the memories took over, reminding him of the throb and of the danger he was facing.

The King, the horrid and despised King of Albanero, had abducted the TARDIS using magic. Magic that was unstoppable, even with the sonic screwdriver and the Doctor's superior knowledge. It was something he had never seen before, a dark purple swarm of something evil that encased the TARDIS inside and in a moment, made it disappear. The Doctor had tried to attack the King, to find out where his ship had been taken, but the moment he tried to take one step the King managed to use more magic to repel him backwards, cause him pain, and then provide him with a reason for his throbbing headache.

The King dove into the Doctor's memories. In a matter of two minutes and by the use of dark magic more powerful than anything the Doctor had experienced, he relived his entire 903 years of life. His birth, his childhood, his first journey away from Gallifrey, his marriage, his children. He relived the Time War, the destruction of his home, the pain and guilt knowing he was the only one left, and every journey and loss in between. Every regeneration, every tear, every cut, scrape, bruise, everybody he had ever known and lost all came flooding back to him like a train stopping at a depot .

The sensation ended as quickly as it began, and the Doctor's mind went fuzzy afterwards. Sitting in that cellar was the first thing he was able to remember since having his mind raped, and now he felt the bitter sting of despair.

This realm, whatever it may be, was going to be impossible to maneuver using the tactics he had grown accustomed to. The TARDIS was somewhere in this castle, he just knew it, and he would do whatever it took to retrieve it. At the moment, however, all he could think about was his past and the fact that doing whatever it took to get the TARDIS back would not ensure he would be successful. It could be burned, or altered by the magic the King will most likely inflict on it. He felt his pulse quicken. He had to get out here.

The Doctor tried to sonic the door, but it was gone. Of course. He was unconscious for hours if not days, of course they would have checked his pockets. He frowned and ran his hand through his hair, deciding his best choice would be to try another way. He grabbed the small cot in the corner and turned it on its side. He secured it with some stones that were lying on the ground and then very carefully climbed on top of it. He was high enough now to peer out of the window easily and he looked around, trying to get a feel for what his chances were. His eyes scanned the ground, the stairs, the balconies and the stone walls inch by inch.

Something caught his eye. In a tower across from his cellar, high up and almost not visible since he was looking at it from underground, was a girl. He watched her watch the soldiers carefully, and he realized she was doing exactly what he was. She appeared to be waiting for something. Her stance was tense, her eyes were moving about rapidly, and the Doctor could tell she was afraid someone might notice her in the window. As soon as he thought this he saw the girl duck behind the wall and wait there for a moment before slowly reappearing. Her blonde locks were braided and pinned up in a most elegant bun, and she was dressed in a plain white dress that made her look heavenly. The Doctor felt his throat tighten, and then he was confused. Who was this girl? And why in Rassalion's name was she having this effect on him? A few moments passed and he saw the girl disappear again. The sound of footsteps behind him sent a wave of panic through his body and he jumped off of the cot in seconds, threw the stones to the side with his feet, and quickly put the cot back in the corner. He barely managed to sit back down on the ground when a soldier appeared. He opened the door to the cellar and marched inside.

He grabbed the Doctor by the arms and yanked him up. Neither said a word, but the Doctor knew wherever this soldier was taking him was not going to be good. As they approached the stairs, the Doctor braced himself and did what any gentlemen would do. He elbowed the solider in the gut, twisted his arms behind him, kicked him to the ground and knocked him out cold.

As quickly as he could, the Doctor assumed the garments of the soldier and closed the beaver so his face wouldn't be seen. He walked up the stairs slowly, trying to make as little noise as possible, and formed a plan in his head.

He had to get out of the castle and find someone who knew more about the King. He needed to figure out a way to strip him of his magical capabilities, get his TARDIS back, and overthrow him so the Kingdom of Albanero could thrive. It was the only way he seemed fit, and he was also at a dead end. He knew nothing about this land or its people, and he certainly knew nothing of the magic that was here. Even so, he knew if he remained a prisoner he would most likely just be killed, and what good would that serve anyone? He crept up the stairs and found himself in a long hallway. No one paid him any sort of attention since he was dressed in the soldier's gear, and suddenly the answer came to him.

The girl. She must know something. He saw it in her behavior. As quietly and nonchalantly as he could, the Doctor made him way across the castle halls and toward the tower across from his cell. He was expecting to be overwhelmed with the amount of doors and not know where to even start looking for her, but his eyes were drawn to a single door at the top of a flight of stairs. Somehow he knew this is where the girl was, and with a glance behind him to make sure no one was following him, the Doctor tip toed up the stairs, twisted the doorknob open, and walked inside.

The girl turned around immediately, and the Doctor was surprised to see she was no longer wearing the flowing white gown but brown breeches, a billowing white blouse with a leather vest laced tightly in the front. On her feet was a pair of sturdy boots and behind her back was a bow and a case of arrows. She also had a dagger tucked in her shoe he didn't know about, and a rapier strapped to her hip. Her eyes met his widely and just as she was about to reach for the blade and stab him through the heart, the voice of the Bailiff came sounding through the open window.

"ATTENTION: THE PRISONER KNOWN AS THE DOCTOR HAS ESCAPED. ALL PERSONNEL BE ON THE LOOKOUT IMMEDIATELY." He said.

The girl went to draw her rapier when the Doctor raised the beaver and his eyes met hers. She opened her mouth to say something and he reached out his hand. It closed over hers and with a twinkle in his eye he said the only word that came to mind.

"Run!"

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A/N: So, this totally went a different direction than I had planned. As I was writing it things just happened that I wasn't expecting. Hope you enjoyed, next chapter will be up soon.


	2. New Earth

Once Upon a Galaxy

Summary: In the kingdom of Albanero, a young princess searches for the answer to save her land. At the beginning of her journey she meets a man who travels in a blue box, and he agrees to help her with her quest. A fairytale starring the Tenth Doctor and Rose, and another look at how the two of them fell in love.

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who. That all belongs to BBC.

Author's Note: I have many plans for this story, but since I am starting school again soon it might be difficult to update as often as I'd like. Hopefully I get one chapter out every couple of weeks. Thank you!

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New Earth

Her hand fit in his perfectly, as if they had been made for each other. The chainmail made running difficult and the Doctor let the girl take the lead as soon as they were out of the hallway. She knew the castle better anyway. They continued to run past the soldiers unnoticed at first, but as they reached the lower-level hallways and were sneaking around behind the castle toward the main gate, one man stopped running.

"Princess?!" he screamed. The girl groaned and yanked the Doctor behind a wall as the soldier chased after them. Among the mass of people he ran right past them and didn't realize she had hidden herself. The Doctor looked at her.

"You're the princess?" he asked, a little impressed. She gave him a smile where her tongue escaped her teeth and the Doctor felt his pulse quicken.

"Rose." She introduced herself. He smiled at her, a genuine, wonderful smile and nodded his head.

"I'm the Doctor." He said. She grabbed his hand and pulled him away from the wall as a hoard of soldiers appeared, and she pulled him down to hide behind some bushes.

"Doctor Who?" She asked. He was fascinated by her. Her ability to maneuver and escape every soldier's gaze, her intent focus on getting out of the castle grounds, the fact that she was taking him with her. It was sending his head spinning and Rose looked at him expectantly. "Doctor?" She asked again. He was snapped back to reality and blushed lightly, clearing his throat to cover up his thoughts.

"Exactly." He began. "Just the Doctor."

Rose leapt up and yanked the Doctor with her, pushing him up against the wall so she was in front of him. "Listen to me, you want to get out of here, yeah?" she whispered. Her eyes were focused intently on him, but he could tell she was paying extra attention to their surroundings. Her body was rather close to his and it was making his hearts begin to beat faster, but he pushed it aside and gave her one single nod.

"Yeah." He said. She looked to the left and to the right before grabbing his hand and pulling him forward.

"Okay, then follow me. I'll get your out of here safely." She said to him. The Doctor wanted to help, but since he knew nothing about this place he knew it was better just let Rose take the lead. Sure enough, she managed to lead them to a small wooden hatch toward the back end of the castle.

"STOP RIGHT THERE!" a soldier's voice beckoned through the crowd. Rose turned only for a moment and registered the severity of the situation. Faster than the speed of light she threw the hatch open and grabbed the Doctor's arm.

"Go. GO!" she demanded and began to push him into the hidden room. He jumped down and then held his arm out to catch her, but she jumped down next to him with ease and shut the hatch immediately. She turned to him with a small smile and held out his screwdriver.

"Nicked this from the guard who took it. Think it's yours, right?" she asked. The hatch began to open and the Doctor grabbed the sonic screwdriver, aimed it at the door and sealed it shut. He gave Rose a brilliant grin and was tempted to hug her, but he knew it wasn't the time.

"How did you-" he began to ask, but Rose shook her head.

"Told you. I nicked it. Come on." She said and led the way through a small, desolate tunnel. Dirt and pebbles fell around them as they continued to walk; the only light they had was coming from the occasional slit in the roof above them. The Doctor was mesmerized by Rose as she trekked on, and the sound of footsteps running and cries being let free were echoing around them from up above. Eventually, though, the Doctor saw what appeared to be a small wooden door ahead of them. Rose turned and gave him a wink before she walked up to it and pushed it open.

They found themselves in the woods. The door was part of a tree, camouflaged to look like bark. Rose stepped out first and dusted off her shoulders from the dirt that had landed there, then turned to see the Doctor doing the same. She reached for the door and closed it, then looked over to the Doctor.

"Do you mind doing your magic light thing?" she asked. He grinned and complied, making it impossible for anyone to escape the castle the same way they did. Speaking of, the castle was so far off in the distance the panic could barely be heard. He looked at Rose in awe, wondering just how many times she'd snuck out.

"Thank you." The Doctor said. Rose smiled that tongue smile again and the Doctor was temporarily speechless. With the sun behind her she looked radiant, and as she turned away from him to walk toward the center of the expanse of trees they were in the Doctor found himself following her without hesitation. She turned to him slowly.

"Thank YOU, for coming to find me or whatever it was you were doing in my room." She said with a hint of amusement. He laughed and shrugged.

"I had a question for you, actually." He said cheekily. His light tone made her grin and she reached out her hand.

"Well, ask away. But we have to keep moving just in case." She told him. He took her hand and she helped him jump over the nasty arrangement of roots growing at their feet, then she let go and walked beside him, rather than in front. "I have some questions, too." She said. He couldn't wipe the silly grin from his face as she talked to him, and took a deep breath. The air was cold, but fresh, and smelled of pine. A brilliant, peaceful smell. His eyes went back to Rose, who was looking ahead.

"Well, Princess." He began. She snickered.

"Please, call me Rose. Please." She begged. He laughed lightly and nodded his head.

"Alright, Rose. I travel to many different places, and I actually don't know what planet this is for certain. Is this Earth?" he asked. Rose laughed.

"Of course it is!" she said smiling. The Doctor looked around him and a giant grin broke out on his face.

"This is a new Earth indeed!" He exclaimed. Rose studied him for a moment.

"What d'you mean a new Earth?" she asked. The Doctor beamed even more.

"Well, technically I suppose it's not a new Earth, but it's a new realm of Earth I've never seen before, and it's rather exciting!" he revealed. Rose laughed.

"Alright," she said with a smile. The Doctor kept walking, trying to figure out how to get on the subject he really wanted.

"What's wrong with your father?" he asked. She looked at him seriously and stopped walking. Maybe that was rude. He always had a problem with that in this regeneration! For a moment he was afraid he greatly offended her.

"What d'you mean?" she asked darkly. He gulped. Something about her at this moment felt like a wolf ready to pounce. Maybe she wasn't who she seemed, sweet and innocent.

"I…" the Doctor began. "I just mean… the village, and the castle…The King…He just seems –" the Doctor said. Rose cut him off.

"A monster?" she finished for him. He looked at her in surprise.

"Well, yeah." He admitted. Rose huffed out a breath and looked like she was about to vomit.

"He's not my father." She told him sternly and continued to walk. The Doctor stared at the back of her head in shock, but quickly caught up to her.

"Wait, what do you mean?" he asked. Rose sighed and looked back at him.

"And what about you, Doctor? What are you doing in Albanero?" she asked. He gave her a knowing look and a cheeky grin.

"Traveling." He said. She sighed.

"Well, I figured that. But I'm not going to tell you anything until you tell me why you," she said, poking his chest with her finger, "are here. And why you were about to be executed." She said. His eyes widened.

"I was going to be executed? Seriously?" he gawked. Her eyebrows lowered as she looked at him in confusion.

"Yeah…I thought that's why you wanted to leave." She said. He shook his head.

"Nooooo-" he said lowly. "No, I want to go try and find someone who will help me stop the King." Rose stopped in her tracks again and looked at the Doctor with anticipation in her eyes.

"You…You want to stop King James?" she asked quietly. He nodded his head and watched as she rolled her lip between her teeth.

"I watched him murder two innocent people right in front of me. I want to do everything I can to make sure that doesn't happen anymore." The Doctor said slowly, darkly, seriously. Rose watched him as he tried to take off the helmet he was wearing with much difficulty, and she walked a little closer to him.

"Here." She whispered. She placed both hands tenderly on the metal and gently lifted. The helmet came off without any struggle, and the Doctor's eyes met Rose's. "Gotta be gentle with this stuff. It's made for rough play." She said with a small smile. He watched her as she handed him the helmet. "You may want to keep that on, though." She warned in reference to the armor. The Doctor's face crinkled.

"I'll move better out of it." He said and shrugged off the chainmail. He felt like a thousand pounds were lifted off of him once the armor was on the ground. His pockets, much like his TARDIS, are bigger on the inside, and with a small smile to Rose he stuffed the armor away. She watched him as if in a trance and slowly shook her head.

"You darn wizards think of everything." She muttered. He laughed so hard he almost snorted.

"I'm not a wizard." He told her. "I'm a Time Lord." She stared at him.

"What's that?" she asked carefully. He shrugged.

"Just another kind of person." He replied. She didn't ask any more questions about it, much to his relief, and just crossed her arms over her chest. She was playing with her lip again, something the Doctor was finding rather admirable.

"He's my uncle." She said and turned around. She began to walk away and the Doctor followed her immediately.

"King James?" he asked. She nodded her head and let out a long sigh.

"Yeah." She said. He knew there was a story she was waiting to tell, but he knew people well enough to know when it was something that was hard for them to say. He placed a hand on her shoulder to stop her from walking any further.

"What happened?" he asked tenderly. Rose's eyes met his once more, and she was astounded at how quickly she trusted this man.

"Greed. Betrayal. You name it." She said sadly. With a sigh she took a seat on a log that rested between two trees and stared at her feet as she continued. "Ten years ago he slipped poison into my father's wine at dinner. Killed him instantly." Rose revealed. The Doctor's hearts ached for her and he slowly took a seat next to her, waiting for her to continue. "Of course, there's no proof that he did it. But I know. I saw my uncle pour something into my father's drink that night…I know." She said. The Doctor nodded and Rose let out a sigh. Her eyes began to roam the sky as she thought about what to share next.

"I'm sorry." The Doctor said. Rose gave a small smile.

"He practices dark magic, my uncle." She said bitterly. "Cast a spell so that no one would believe anything I said in regards to my father's death. He became king, married my mother, destroyed all the good that Albanero was." She whispered. Tears were forming in her eyes and she tried desperately to push them back. The Doctor timidly reached out and placed his hand on hers. She looked at it for a moment with a strange expression on her face, but she didn't pull away. The Doctor gave her a sympathetic look.

"Are you running away?" he asked. She laughed.

"No." she said. "I mean, well, I suppose. But I'm coming back." She said firmly. Her eyes were teary but were still like warm chocolates as she set their sights on him. "I've been planning this for a while." She said. The Doctor looked at her.

"Planning what?" he asked. Rose sighed.

"There is legend of a sword made by the Grand Elves of Hillshire that holds magic purer than any other in this land. It's a stronger kind of magic. In Hillshire, a land far to the east, the elves can fashion a potion from that same magic. If I can get a hold of the sword and ask the elves to make the potion, I can slip into my uncle's drink, leaving him bereft of his power. Then I can take the sword and purge his body of all evil." Rose said. The Doctor looked at her carefully.

"Would he die?" he asked. Rose bit her lip.

"Yes." She whispered. "But it would save Albanero." She said. The Doctor nodded.

"You're going alone?" he asked. She nodded.

"No one else is going to save the kingdom. They're too afraid of him, or too weak, or even just too lost… It's my duty to restore Albanero to its former glory, Doctor. I owe it to my father. I owe it to the people, as their Princess." Rose said, tears lining her cheeks. The Doctor gave her a look of adoration.

"Would you like help?" he asked. Rose looked at him in surprise and her heart skipped a beat.

"You'd want to come with me?" she asked amazed. The Doctor looked at her like she was insane.

"Rose, of course." He said. "The King has my home. My ship. It's called the TARDIS, stands for Time And Relative Dimension in Space. She's a beauty, too." The Doctor said, the beginnings of a ramble forming on his lips. Rose frowned.

"He might use magic on it, Doctor." She said. His eyes grew dark and he nodded.

"Yeah, I thought about that too. But that's even more reason I want to help. I want to help you save your kingdom and I want to get my home back. I witnessed what King James did to the village. He has to be stopped. Two heads are always better than one." He told her, his mouth forming a rather cocky yet intriguing smile. Rose couldn't suppress a laugh.

"Alright, then, Doctor. If you're sure, you're welcome to come." She said. She let out the most adorable little giggle and shot him the smile with the tongue once more. He was entranced by her. He couldn't stop his own ridiculous smile from appearing on his face at the sight of her, but both snapped out of their daze when a crow cawed above them and swooped down by their faces. It was an omen, they both knew it.

"We should go." The Doctor noted. Rose agreed.

"Yeah." She said and stood up. She grabbed the bow from her back and an arrow and strategically placed them in her hands so they were ready to fire if the moment should present itself. They walked together slowly, watching every wave of every branch in the breeze, listening to every rustle of every leaf, smelling each pine needle with the upmost attention.

They continued on in the forest, waiting for any sign of danger to present itself. The sun began to set and the Doctor noticed that with Rose around, it looked a little more brilliant. He shook that thought away at once. She was a princess, a HUMAN princess, and there was no way she would ever consider traveling with him, or being with him in any way. Besides, her life-span would run out, and after sixty years or so, he'd be alone.

Why in Rassallion's name was he thinking those thoughts? He'd met her two hours ago! He felt his heart begin to patter against his ribs. This girl was having an astounding effect on him. He watched as she placed her footsteps carefully so no noise was made and he copied her actions. He wasn't sure what wonders awaited them in this forest.

"Rose?" the Doctor whispered. She looked over her shoulder for a split second to acknowledge that she was listening, and the Doctor smiled despite himself. "How far of a trip is Hillshire?" he asked.

"Far." Rose said. The Doctor raised his eyebrows and wondered what that meant, but before he had a chance to say anything Rose stopped walking.

"Do you hear that?" she whispered. Her eyes scanned the sky, and the Doctor tensed up. He most certainly could hear it.

"Sounds like Davros when he's hungry." The Doctor said in an attempt to make a joke. It wasn't funny, not at all, especially since Rose looked at him like he just spoke another language.

"What?" she asked. He shook his head and cleared his throat.

"Nothing. What is it?" he asked, his pitch rising toward the end. The sound was harsh and throaty. It sent vibrations through both of their bodies and shook the ground. The worst part was the feeling it gave the Doctor. It was off-putting, dangerous, and made him feel like he was reliving his worst memories. Again.

"Ogres." Rose replied and raised her bow. "Lots of Ogres." The Doctor's mouth flew open.

"OH! Oh oh oh oh oh!" he said excitedly and Rose shot him a death stare. "Harkenden has Ogres! Vile creatures they are, full of toxic acid that eats anything it touches. Never cut open an Ogre, Rose, let me tell you. Did that once, almost didn't make it out alive. And then, there's the stench and…Oh." The Doctor said, his face turning from exuberance to realization. Rose was staring at him as he rambled, her face fighting a smile at how adorable she found this rant of his. She watched as he lifted his hand up and pointed a finger toward the sound, then moved it to his lips. "They can't see… The Ogres on Harkenden are blind, but their hearing is—" he whispered. Rose smirked.

"Out of this world, yeah." She whispered back, finishing his sentence for him. Her bow was raised high and her hand was gripped firmly on the arrow. "Same thing with the ogres here, Doctor." She revealed. His eyes lit up and a giant grin broke out on his face.

"Oh, Rose, this is my favorite part." He said. She gave him an astounded look as the Doctor watched the sky. Suddenly, the sound became almost unbearable and Rose knew the Ogre was in their line of sight. She turned her head slowly and waited for the precise moment. Both she and the Doctor appeared to be thinking the same thing. Both remained absolutely silent, and when the Ogre appeared just above them, Rose shot the arrow toward its heart. It hit it and the Ogre cried out in pain, his arm reaching up to grab hold of the arrow. The Doctor, taking advantage of the Ogre's distraction, grabbed Rose's hand and ran with her in the opposite direction just past the Ogre. Her hand flew over her mouth to stop her startled scream when they almost ran into four more Ogres. The Doctor's eyes were narrowed and his mouth hanging open as he searched their surroundings, trying to find the best way to get out. Rose had other plans. While the Doctor was searching, she carefully grabbed an arrow and looked up at the sky. A bird was perched on a tree off in the distance, and if she hit it would fall and make a thud, hopefully distracting the beasts before her.

That's what she did.

And it worked.

The Doctor watched as the four Ogre's made grumbling noises and stalked off toward the fallen bird. Rose knew she couldn't waste time now, and she reached for the Doctor's hand. Yanking him behind her they ran through the trees. It was dark now, very dark, but Rose knew the forest well enough to be able to guide her and the Doctor through. They ran a while longer and stopped only for a moment when they heard the bellowing sounds of the Ogre's in the distance.

"They can hear us." Rose whispered and pushed the Doctor against a nearby tree. "Quickly, go right." She said. The Doctor nodded and grabbed a hold of Rose's hand, leading her further into the trees. She held her breath as they kneeled beside a bush and replaced her bow with her rapier. She looked at the Doctor and gave him the dagger from her boot. "Here." She whispered so low it was barely audible.

"Oh, no." the Doctor protested. "I don't use weapons." He told her. She raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah? How did you escape those Ogres on that other planet, then?" she questioned. The Doctor scoffed.

"I used my sonic to break a rope that was holding an electrical trap. Stunned 'em." He revealed. His eyes darkened when he realized her point. It was still a weapon. "That was different though. I didn't plan on stabbing them in the heart." He said. Rose sighed.

"Welcome to my world." She said sadly and pushed the dagger into his hands. "Just for protection. You don't actually have to use it." She said. The Doctor frowned.

"S'okay." He said, sniffing. "I have my sonic." He added, a cheeky grin forming on his face. Rose shook her head.

"Suit yourself." She said, and replaced the dagger in her boot. From that moment on they remained absolutely still and quiet, and they held their breath as the four Ogres passed them by and disappeared into the night. Rose let out a shaky breath and lowered her rapier before she put it back in the sheath.

"I must say, miss Rose, you are quite impressive with a bow and arrow." The Doctor noted. She smirked.

"Had lots of practice." She said and sank down on her bottom. Her right arm came and rested on her leg as she let out the breath she had been holding. Her eyes looked toward the Doctor. He had excellent vision in the dark and hers had grown accustomed to the lack of light. For a moment they just looked at each other, and the Doctor smiled.

"Not bad for the first day of an adventure." He said. She laughed.

"If that's what you want to call it, sure." She said, a smile on her face. "You really don't have to come. I know what I'm doing." She told him. He frowned.

"Do you not want me to?" he asked, almost afraid for the answer. Rose turned red in the face, and thanked God the mask of night was covering her. Little did she know the Doctor could still see her blush. He was like a cat in the dark.

"N-no! That's not what I meant at all!" she exclaimed. "I mean, if this is too weird for you or something…" she said. The Doctor busted out laughing. Rose watched him as he peeled over on his side, clutching it, laughter flowing out of him like a song. It made her laugh too, seeing him so giddy, and eventually she had to shush him in fear he would alert the Ogres again.

"I'm sorry!" The Doctor said in between laughs. "I'm really so sorry." He said, wiping some tears from his eyes. "I needed that." Rose smirked.

"Glad I could be of assistance." She said. The Doctor inhaled deeply and let it out slowly.

"Trust me, Rose, I've seen worse. I've lived through much, much worse." He said. For a moment he let his mind drift elsewhere but he came back immediately and shot Rose a smile. "What d'you say we set up a camp here for the night, hm?" he asked. Rose nodded.

"Alright." She said. Her stomach had an uneasy feeling as she reached into her satchel and removed a blanket for the cold. This man was unbelievable. She trusted him the moment she met him and she had no idea why. She also found him invigorating, intriguing, and desirable. Oh, she found him very desirable. She would be a fool to say he wasn't easy on the eyes, but that's not what this journey was about. Yet, despite his quick wit and great humor, aside from his rants and brilliant knowledge of anything she mentioned, Rose got the distinct feeling this man was hiding something dark from his past. She watched as he leaned against a tree and settled on resting his head against the trunk. As she lied down across from him she bit her lip.

"You're going to catch a chill." She told him. He smiled.

"I doubt it. Time Lords don't get sick very easily." He said. Rose frowned.

"You sure? You could put the armor on… Might keep you warm." She said softly. Her eyes held concern and the Doctor was trapped in them for a moment before he gently shook his head.

"I'll be alright. Thank you." He said. Rose nodded and closed her eyes, almost afraid to push him.

Sleep did not come easily for her. Her dreams were plagued with images of the suffering in Albanero, and fears for the upcoming journey. The Doctor didn't sleep at all. He watched Rose toss and turn and when she would get too restless he would go to her and comfort her. He had no idea where any of these feelings were coming from. It physically hurt him to see her in pain as she slept. His hearts felt like they were ripping from his chest. When Rose did finally fall asleep and stayed that way through the night he didn't leave her side. He just watched her and the surroundings, making sure everything was going to be okay.

When the welcoming rays of dawn began to spill onto the treetops, the Doctor gently woke Rose. She sat up slowly and blinked a few times as she registered where she was, and then almost jumped when she saw the Doctor was at her side.

"Hello." He said carefully.

"Hello." She replied, and her face broke out into a smile. "Did you sleep at all?" she asked. He didn't say anything, instead he stood up and held out his hand.

"Come on, Princess." He said. She rolled her eyes and grabbed his hand as he helped her up. As she stuffed the blanket back into her satchel, she saw him watching her and it made her blush. She coughed to cover it up and set her eyes on him, where she saw he was smiling too.

"We should get going," Rose said. "If I had to guess, I'd say the King's Men know I'm gone and are probably looking for me as much as they are looking for you."

They walked down a narrow path and came across a fork.

"Ah!" The Doctor exclaimed. "Just what I like! A challenge! Rose, I'd say we should go right. Typically, whenever I've gone left I've—" He started to say, but Rose ignored him and began walking down the left path. "Rose?" The Doctor called. "ROSE!"

"You're in Albanero, now, Doctor. Anything you learned in the past is different here!" She yelled to him as she walked backwards and then skipped back around, her hair blowing softly in the breeze. "You better keep up!" She scolded with a smile when she realized the Doctor was still at the beginning of the fork. "Doctor?" she asked.

"It just looks shady, Rose." He said quietly. She sighed and walked back to him.

"Take my hand." She instructed, and he did as he was told. "Trust me, Doctor. I've traveled these woods a hundred times. The right path is not the _right_ path, if you get what I mean." She said with a smile. He smirked. "It has a dragon." She whispered. The Doctor's eyes widened.

"OOH!" He exclaimed and tried to pull Rose back to the other path. She stayed right where she was and looked at the Doctor like he was on something.

"What do you think you're doing? It's too dangerous!" She hissed. He smiled widely.

"I laugh in the face of danger." He said, quoting the Lion King. She sighed, not catching the reference and used the hand still holding his to pull him back.

"No." she said. "If we go that way, Doctor, we'll never make it. Dragons are fearsome creatures. They don't just breathe fire and make a lot of ruckus, they destroy anything and anyone who comes its way."

"Rose—" the Doctor tried to say, intending to tell her that he was the Doctor, and he was sure he could handle it.

"NO, Doctor." She cried. "The dragons on that path's breath are poisonous, as are their scales and claws. There are other dragons in this world, too, don't get me wrong. Sometimes we have dragons that fly over Albanero, and they aren't as dangerous, but they're from the Kingdom of Trebalt. A peaceful place. The land we have to travel through, Doctor….The land we would be in if we came across the dragons on the right path…" She broke off shaking. The Doctor could sense her fears and placed the hand she wasn't holding on her shoulder.

"Alright, let's go left." He said and took the lead. Rose tried to blink back tears as she followed behind him.

The Dragons of Rebanook, those were the dragons they would have faced. Rose knew these dragons too well, for when she was a little girl she was traveling in the woods with her young friend Mickey, her tutor's son, had touched the dragon in an attempt to pet it.

To this day Rose can still hear Mickey's screams as he withered away in front of her from the poison. The memory haunts her, fills her dreams, and the guilt walks alongside her like an old friend. It's the same with her father's passing. The knowledge that she could have prevented the deaths of not one, but two of the most important people in her life, nauseates her and gives her the strength she needs to carry on.

For the dragons were not always so deadly. A curse was brought upon them and the entire land of Rebanook by a dark sorcerer who now wears King Peter's, Rose's father's, crown.

As long as there was breath in her body, Rose would see to it that no one else suffered the wrath of the wicked King James. She and the Doctor carried on down that left path in silence, Rose remembering why she was doing this in the first place, when the smell of smoke became overpowering.

"Doctor—" Rose began to say, but he was already looking in the direction the fire was coming from.

"It's over there." He said. Rose looked in the direction he was pointing and her heart sank.

"That's the Village of Isis…" she whispered. He pulled out his sonic and scanned the smoke, trying to figure out the damage that was being done.

"Rose…" he said, his eyes growing wide, "It's completely in flames."

Rose didn't say anything, she just grabbed the Doctor's hand and pulled, yanking him down the path until they came to a patch of trees she knew would lead them to the Village of Isis, and they ran. They ran so fast Rose felt her legs would snap off, and soon they came to it.

The entire village, just as the Doctor said, was engulfed in an angry fire. It was up to them to stop it.

* * *

A/N: I decided that each chapter will be titled after series 2 of Doctor Who, and I will morph the story to fit this one. I really want this to be about the Doctor and Rose, much as that series was, and I am very excited to see what in the world I will have to do to make it work. Please review!


	3. Tooth and Claw

Once Upon a Galaxy

Summary: In the kingdom of Albanero, a young princess searches for the answer to save her land. At the beginning of her journey she meets a man who travels in a blue box, and he agrees to help her with her quest. A fairytale starring the Tenth Doctor and Rose.

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who. That all belongs to BBC.

Author's Note: Here is chapter 3!

* * *

Tooth and Claw

A brilliant swirl of orange and red was the only welcome Rose and the Doctor received upon reaching the Village of Isis. It took Rose all of two seconds to react, running into the flames against the screaming protests of the Doctor and trying to maneuver through the smoke until she reached the well. It was hidden beneath a cloud of ash and guarded by a flaming soldier, who was screaming and writhing as the heat melted his flesh from his body. Rose cried out to him and wrapped the blanket from her satchel around him, but the moment the scratchy wool extinguished the flames he collapsed into Rose's arms. She shook him gently, afraid to apply too much pressure, but it was clear to her the man had died. Taking a deep breath to steady her thoughts she lowered him to the ground and replaced the blanket, and then turned her attention to the stone well in front of her. The sound of the Doctor's voice was resonating behind her, but the crackling trees and snapping rooftops muffled it and gave Rose the motivation she needed. The straw cover of the well was gone, replaced by a burning canopy of heat, and with a scream to stifle any pain she may feel Rose reached her hand through the fire and grabbed a hold of the metal bucket that was dangling from the well by a rope made of the tail of a centaur. Because of the magical qualities centaur hair possesses it's very difficult to burn it, but the temperature was rising quickly and Rose could tell it would snap at any moment. As if that wasn't enough, the moment her hand made contact with the metal bucket her skin acted like gum, sticking to the bucket and stretching apart as Rose tried to withdraw it, biting her lip to stop from screaming. Suddenly there was a hand on her shoulder and Rose heard a faded buzzing noise as the Doctor used his sonic screwdriver to heal her hand and cool the bucket. She felt him gently push her aside as he scooped up a bucket of water and threw it over the well. With the fire gone from the source of their solution, the Doctor was able to get more water and throw it over more flames.

It wasn't enough, Rose knew that. Even as the Doctor extinguished one section of flames, other sections grew hungrier and were growing in size and heat. She looked around quickly and realized water alone would not solve the destruction of what was left of the Village. Magic was the only thing that would be powerful enough to save anyone, but magic was something she did not have.

A scream snapped Rose from her thoughts and made her turn around quickly. She saw the body of a small child, a girl, hiding underneath a chicken coop, and as quickly as she could she ran to her. A gust of wind blew the fire in front of the child as Rose tried to reach out for her hand and threw her back, and with her head spinning she could see the child try to escape by blowing on the flames.

It wasn't doing anything but moving the fire closer to her, and Rose looked around to try and find something to get the fire down so the girl could jump through or over it.

"DOCTOR!" she cried, hoping he would be able to help. He looked over at her and ran to her, kneeling beside her and looking at her with worried eyes.

"Are you alright?" he asked. She nodded and looked back to the child.

"Can you use your thing to help her?" she asked and gestured over to the chicken coop. The Doctor nodded once and clicked the screwdriver. The light on the tip lit brilliantly, and the flames became heatless. Rose reached out her hand and waited for the girl to grab it, but she sat in fear and didn't move.

"You have to trust me!" Rose cried over the sounds of the snapping trees and burning homes. The child still sat there, and Rose let out a cough as the smoke started to overpower her. "It's me." She said. "It's Princess Rose." The child's eyes grew wide and she began to crawl out from under the coop. Rose smiled widely as she approached her and held her arms out, and the girl grabbed her hands as she hoisted her out of the cool flames. The Doctor didn't know why he didn't think to do so before, and with his sonic cooled everything that was set ablaze in a matter of moments. It was a different form of magic to Rose, who held the child close to her as the Doctor walked back to the well and used the water to silence the fire once and for all. It was much easier now that the heat was gone as well as the imminent threat of smoke.

They were safe, but Rose felt hot tears well in her eyes and fall down her cheeks as she took in what was left of the Village of Isis.

Blackened remains of once sturdy houses, and charred corpses on every inch of once fertile soil.

The child remained silent, not even crying, as Rose looked over at the Doctor. He was staring at the village in shock, his sonic still in his hand. Without saying a word he raised it and ran a scan, trying to see if there was any sign of life, if there was any hope for survivors.

Nothing.

He turned to Rose slowly. She was looking at him with wide-eyes, no clue what he was looking for or even how he was able to get the fire down, let alone to go away completely. He said he was a Time Lord, and for all Rose knew that was just some fancy term for a far-off wizard, or sorcerer, or some other form that practices magic.

He tried to save the people of the Village, though, and that told Rose the Doctor's magic was not dark. He cleared his throat.

"I'm sorry." He whispered. "I'm so sorry." Rose stiffened at these words and looked down at the girl. She was holding Rose's hand, no emotion on her face. Rose took a deep breath.

"What's your name?" she asked. The child looked at her but said nothing. Rose figured the shock of losing her home was just too much.

The Doctor looked down at his sonic as he felt it begin to vibrate. The readings of life was recalculating, and for a moment the Doctor let himself hope there might be someone they could save. But the fleeting glimmer of hope died instantly, and the Doctor felt his hearts quicken. There, on the sonic, was data indicating the presence of alien life. And it wasn't him.

"Rose." He said instantly, grabbing her arm and yanking her away from the child. His sonic was aimed at the girl, his eyes were wild and his hair singed at the ends from the flames. He looked mad, and the child stared at him with an innocent expression, still not emoting anything.

"Doctor, what are you doing?!" Rose cried. She tried to run in front of him and get back to the child, but he was stronger than her and held his ground.

"This sonic never lies, Rose." He said darkly. "And it says there are signs of alien life here that is not me. Don't you think it strange this _child,_" he began to explain to her, the word sounding like ice, "was able to survive that fire by hiding under a chicken coop? When the rest of the village died?" he said, his eyes digging into the eyes of the little girl.

"Doctor, she's in shock. She just lost everything. Put the weird, magic flame cooler device down." Rose scolded. "Now." The Doctor shook his head.

"No." he said. "Who are you?" he asked the child. She didn't answer. "What do you want? Did you destroy this village?" he asked. His hand was gripping the sonic tighter by the second. Rose groaned and grabbed his arm.

"Doctor! She's just a child!" she exclaimed. He let out a sharp breath and shook his head.

"She's something, Rose, and most definitely not human." He said. She pursed her lips as the rage began to build.

"Lots of things in Albanero are not human, Doctor. You JUST got here, you have no right to interrogate citizens like this! Especially children!" She shrieked. She pushed past the Doctor and kneeled down, but before she had the chance to reach out the Doctor grabbed her and pulled her back up.

"No-" he began to say. She glared at him.

"Let me go, Doctor." She hissed. He stared at her. For a moment their eyes locked, and the Doctor felt his hearts quicken. They were both stubborn, and they were both not backing down.

The sound of a pop made both the Doctor and Rose break their staring contest and look back at the child. Rose staggered back as the Doctor stepped in front of her. His sonic was raised at the purple cloud of magic that was swimming in circles where the girl used to be. After a moment Rose started thinking again and drew her bow, placing an arrow in her hand ready to fire.

"Well done, Doctor." An effervescent voice said smoothly. He clenched his jaw. He knew that voice once.

"Gwyneth?!" He said incredulously. Rose looked at him for a second. There was no way the Doctor could know who Gwyneth, the wickedest sorceress in Albanero, was. None. Unless he'd been to Albanero before, or unless he _was_ a wizard, and if that was the case then he was lying to her.

"Long time no see." The woman said, and the cloud dissipated around her. She stood before them in a long black and purple dress that flowed from her shoulders like a waterfall. Her dark black hair was wrapped in braids, her piercing blue eyes set themselves on the Doctor, and her mouth was twitching into a strange smirk. Rose glared at her.

"What are you doing here?" She asked darkly. Gwyneth squealed and clapped her hands together.

"ROSIE!" She exclaimed. "Oh my, no long dress or flowing hair today?" Rose narrowed her eyes on the sorceress.

"Answer the question." Rose snapped. The woman smiled and walked toward the Doctor, who was staring at her in shock.

"You look different." She told him. He swallowed hard and watched her carefully. He had no idea how she got here, and he was at a loss for how to take this information.

"You haven't seen me in two hundred years." He replied. She smirked. Rose looked between the two, trying to wrap her head around the fact they knew each other.

"Two hundred years?" she asked, arching an eyebrow at the Doctor. He frowned.

"It's a long story." He replied breathily. This could not be real. Gwyneth died – he watched it happen. Yet, here she was. And she looked like she hadn't aged a day. He supposed he looked younger as well, but he had a completely new face. She was the same in every way, and it was giving him an uneasy feeling.

"Rosie, I have to tell you something." Gwyneth said, turning her attention back to Rose, who shook her head. Her chest began to heave as breathing became forced. She was trying to stop herself from screaming.

"Did you do this to the Village?" Rose whispered desperately. So many questions were going through her mind, but Gwyneth merely smiled and shook her head.

"Of course not!" she protested. Rose felt her grip around the bow tighten by its own accord. Looks like her survival skills were kicking in.

"Then why are you here?" The Doctor asked. Gwyneth sighed.

"To see you two." She replied simply. "The Doctor and Rose travelling together. It almost seemed too good to be true." She said with a wink. The Doctor raised his sonic as Rose raised her bow.

"Stop being cryptic." The Doctor demanded. "Why were you disguised? What happened here?" He wanted to trust that this was the same girl from his past, the good-hearted soul who sacrificed herself for the world, but she was different somehow and the trust was not there. Gwyneth shook her head and let out a long sigh.

"I don't have time to play twenty questions, Doctor." She scolded back. "I came because I saw you both in a vision. I knew you would be here, and I came to deliver a message. I just…well, arrived a little earlier than expected." She finished with a wink. Rose had enough.

"You came here, saw the village on fire, and you didn't think to stop it?!" She screamed.

"If I stopped it you two would have walked right past it!" She countered. "THAT goes against the prophesy!"

"What prophesy?" The Doctor asked. Gwyneth smirked.

"Nevermind." She said lightly. Rose narrowed her eyes. "Now, the message. Yes or no?"

She was taunting them. She knew the effect she was going to have before she even came to the Village of Isis. Her histories with both of these people could be written into books as world changing events, and as Gwyneth looked into the eyes of the man who once sentenced her to death and the woman she once broke a promise to, she couldn't help but feel like this was a game she would very much enjoy playing.

Neither said anything, and Gwyneth took this to mean they were playing along. With a small laugh she took a step toward Rose and leaned down so her face was in between hers and the Doctor's.

"A wolf will howl when the storm is mightiest." She whispered. Rose looked at her in anger, and the Doctor was about to grab her by the throat and force her to explain everything they wanted answered. Before they even had a chance to respond, purple smoke took Gwyneth's place and left the ground empty. Then she was gone.

Rose lowered the bow and walked away from the Doctor. His head was reeling. Gwyneth was the last person he ever expected to see again. He looked at Rose carefully, aware that her trust in him had diminished greatly after learning this piece of his history. She sat down by the part in the forest that led them to the village and buried her face in her hands.

"Rose?" The Doctor called as he took a few steps toward her. She didn't respond, she merely sat in silence. The Doctor cleared his throat. "Rose?"

She looked up at him slowly, tear lines on her face.

"How do you know her?" she whispered. In that moment the Doctor could feel the last string of trust begin to dwindle. He took a deep breath and let his mind open up to memories of the past, memories of a man who had big ears and a leather jacket.

"A long time ago I took the TARDIS to Cardiff in 1869." He said. Rose looked at him blankly, and he took a seat next to her. "That's in another dimension on Earth. The ninth dimension. That's usually where I go when I come here, but this time…I dunno." He said, running his hand over his face. Rose watched him carefully and didn't say anything. She just waited for him to continue. "Anyway, I was put in the middle of a ghost hunt. Gwyneth was a servant in the house that was being haunted." The Doctor revealed. Rose let out a breath she had been holding for a while.

"What happened?" Rose asked quietly. The trust was still damaged, but she was willing to listen to him and that's all the Doctor could ask for. He sighed as he continued.

"She told me she was a psychic – someone who could see the future, the past, everything that ever was. I didn't know if I should believe her or not, but together with a few other people who lived in the house and a writer in the ninth dimension, we performed a séance to try and talk to the ghosts." He said. Rose cocked her head to the side.

"Magic?" she asked. The Doctor gave a small smile and shook his head.

"No, I don't think so… At least, I didn't at the time. I didn't think magic existed, not like this." He said, gesturing around him. "She got through to them, Gwyneth did. The ghosts came and the world almost ended. I thought she sacrificed herself to save everyone, but…" The Doctor broke off. Revelation began to form in his mind and Rose gulped.

"She came here instead, didn't she?" Rose asked.

"Maybe." The Doctor shrugged. He didn't know what to think. Albanero was quickly becoming a land of questions and very few answers to him, and with a groan he leaned back against the tree. Rose felt her lip quiver. The Doctor was someone she knew she should run away from, but for some reason she couldn't tear herself away. She watched him carefully as he ran his fingers through his gorgeous heap of hair and bit her lip. His story about ghosts and Gwyneth were sitting oddly with her, but it was clear the Doctor had no idea what Gwyneth may or may not have been up to when he met her. She knew she had no right not to trust him. He had risked his life to help her save the Village, and he had been as shocked to see Gwyneth as she was.

The Village. Her heart sank into her stomach as she thought about it, and for the first time since finding Gwyneth, Rose let herself truly look at the remains. She looked up at the sky and exhaled slowly, trying not to cry.

It didn't work.

The Doctor opened his eyes at the sound of Rose's gentle sobs and reached a hand out to her. She looked at it slowly and for some reason felt a wave of comfort. She looked at him with sorrow-filled eyes as tears began to spill down her cheeks.

"I should have been here." She whispered. The Doctor frowned and shook his head.

"There was nothing you could have done, Rose." He told her. She felt her jaw tremble and she closed her eyes.

"I'm the princess." She said. "It's my job to protect my people."

"You don't know what caused this fire, Rose. It could have been something you had no control over." The Doctor ushered. Rose scoffed.

"Or it could have been the King. Or Gwyneth. She could have lied. She said there was a prophesy that had to be fulfilled…." Rose sobbed through each sentence, and the Doctor clenched his jaw. The village really was destroyed. With a sigh he stood up. They had to keep moving. The King and his men were looking for them, as Rose had pointed out earlier. He reached out a hand to her and she looked up at him.

"Rose, the King…" he said. She understood. Pushing back the last of her tears she stood up, not taking the Doctor's hand for fear of showing him too much trust at a moment when she knew it shouldn't be there. He didn't push her and let her take the lead. She fought the urge to take one last look at the village and kept on, walking back into a less-traveled part of the forest.

* * *

At the edge of a cliff overlooking the forest, the beast watched the Doctor and Rose trek on. His eyes were glowing yellow against the night sky as it fell over the ground below, and he heard the sound of footsteps arrive. With a snarl turned his attention to the hoard of guards surrounding the King and his soothsayer. The King raised his hand.

"Now." He said and the guards drew their bayonets on the creature. Frightened and angry, the beast lunged toward them but the King froze it midair. Bound by the curse the King cast, the beast was lowered back to the cool ground of the cliff, where the King cast one more curse on it.

"You know what to do." The King whispered to the beast before feeding it the liver of one of his recent victims. The beast lapped at the blood leftover on the ground, made a noise of contentment and growled at the King. It was a warning to him, telling to leave now before the beast grew hungry once more. The King nodded slowly and cast the last part of the commandment charm over the creature. It would do his bidding. The Doctor and Rose would never make it past the edges of Albanero. The werewolf from the Hills of Shiner would see to it.

* * *

A/N: Please, if you think of any criticism, I would love to hear it. I'm really just making this up as I go along, so suggestions are greatly appreciated. Thank you!


	4. Lavender Skies

Once Upon a Galaxy

Summary: In the kingdom of Albanero, a young princess searches for the answer to save her land. At the beginning of her journey she meets a man who travels in a blue box, and he agrees to help her with her quest. A fairytale starring the Tenth Doctor and Rose, and another look at how the two of them fell in love.

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who. That all belongs to BBC.

Author's Note: Please review! I'd love to know how you all think this is working, because it's totally not a concept I would have thought would work and I'm trying to make it flow well. Thank you!

* * *

Lavender Skies

The vast display of mountains looked ominous against the falling moonlight. Rose and the Doctor had walked together in silence for about an hour, and the memory of the Village of Isis was still very much alive in their minds. For Rose, it was the prime example of why her rebellion against the King was necessary, but it was also a bitter reminder of how useless she felt she was as Princess. How could she rule the Kingdom one day if she couldn't protect her people? How could they trust her? Worst of all, what would her father say? These thoughts ran through her mind like wildfire, and she found she couldn't concentrate on anything else, even Gwyneth.

The Doctor, on the other hand, had Gwyneth swimming in his mind. The woman died – he had seen it. He remembered the moment he gave her his last fleeting look as the ghosts ran through her, a stream of light pooled behind her, and she screamed as her life left her body. She HAD to have died, but this wasn't a different person, this sorceress had remembered him. She had called him by name.

The Doctor began to feel like the threat against Albanero stretched greater than King James. There were dark forces at play, forces that were binding together all dimensions of earth. If he didn't act now, if he didn't stop it, an ultimate paradox would be created. Dimensions were never meant to co-exist. If magic, for instance, was to find its way into the ninth dimension, time-lines would begin to deteriorate. The slightest move could set off an offensive, the hum of the breeze, the dance of falling leaves; if another dimension was to see any of them, people would be in the gravest of danger. He could feel his pulse quicken as he pondered these theories when a cold gust of wind slapped him across the face. He shook his head to try and erase the sting on his cheeks, but he saw Rose was cupping her face as well.

"Is that normal?" he asked, wondering if there was a time of the year when wind was particularly vicious. Rose shook her head.

"No." she replied. Her voice sounded hoarse, and the Doctor desperately wanted to reach his hand out to her. He didn't, afraid that the trust she might still have in him wasn't ready for that. Carefully the Doctor eyed his surroundings, especially when another gust of wind came and almost knocked them to the ground. There was a rustling noise behind them, and Rose drew her bow and arrow instantly. The Doctor pulled out his sonic to run a scan, and what he found made his blood run cold.

Werewolf.

There was a werewolf nearby. He had seen one before, years ago. He was visiting Queen Victoria, and while the whole night was big blur, he can distinctly remember the way the werewolf's eyes penetrated his. He can remember the way the whole world seem to slow down in fear whenever it came close to anyone, and the way it attacked those he had once known. He reached for Rose's hand and pulled her back to him. This was not going to be good.

A full moon sat in the sky and gave the Doctor a sinking feeling. This meant this was the strongest night in the werewolf's cycle. He placed a finger to his lips as he looked directly at Rose. She gave him a questioning stare, but the gaze melted into determination and fear when a howl was heard in the distance.

"Oh, no." she whispered. The Doctor's hand gripped hers tighter as the branches above them swayed in the cold breeze. The wind was getting stronger, chillier, and the presence of the werewolf was quickly making itself known. The smell was becoming unbearable, it was like a dead dog.

Without thinking Rose ran. She pulled the Doctor behind her and was whipping through the forest so quickly his protests were silenced in the sound of the air brushing against her ears. She had heard enough tales from knights about the dangers of a werewolf, and she did not particularly care to find out if they were true. The darkness was wrapping itself around them and soon Rose had no idea where they were. She raised her weapons just in case, forcing herself to drop the Doctor's hand, and waited.

The Doctor knew they had attracted attention the moment they moved. Rose was determined, though, and wouldn't listen to him when he told her stop. His Time Lord senses were tingling, telling him that the enemy would appear any moment.

Sure enough, the sound of twigs cracking and a snarl came sounding behind them. The Doctor didn't have time to turn around before his body was pinned. The drool from the werewolf was splashing onto his face, and just as he was about to try and release himself Rose's arrow shot the wolf through the shoulder.

It cried out in pain and staggered back, but thanks to the charm cast by King James, the wound healed instantly. The wolf didn't know this, nor would it care, but King James was watching the entire battle through a crystal ball in his chamber. To him, this was it.

Rose watched in horror as the blood trickled back _up_ the beast. The Doctor was panting as he wrapped his arms around the neck of the wolf and tried to pull it away from Rose. It snapped its teeth and tried to bite the Doctor, but Rose kicked dirt into its eyes and distracted it. Quickly she grabbed the Doctor's hand and pulled him away. She shot another arrow into its heart and heard a squeal. They ran.

The wolf ran after them.

The chase sequence was like a movie to King James. He watched in excitement as the beast he enchanted caught up with the Doctor and Rose. He watched Rose scream, and he felt his insides bubble in enthusiasm.

The wolf howled before it leapt in the air. Rose tried to shoot another arrow but the Doctor placed a hand on her arm. He knew that was a lost cause and grabbed her wrist, dragging her along.

"We have to kill it." Rose cried against the wind and the snarls. The Doctor nodded.

"Yeah…It's healing itself with minor wounds." He added. Rose looked back over her shoulder. The wolf was about to jump.

"On my mark." Rose said. She knew what had to be done. The only wound magic would not erase. The Doctor looked at her.

"Hm?" he asked. She replaced her bow with her rapier and steadied her hand.

"On my mark." She said again. He looked back at the beast.

"I'll distract it." He said. Rose opened her mouth to protest but the Doctor was already running. Clenching her jaw and tightly gripping the handle of the rapier, she saw him use his sonic to lure the werewolf to the tree where she was hiding behind.

"One…" she began. "Two…"

"THREE." The Doctor screamed, much to Rose's annoyance, but she gave one fluid motion with the rapier. The Doctor had lined it up perfectly. Just as the beast was opening its mouth to swallow him, or bite him, or whatever, Rose killed it. Its head sliced off cleanly, and Rose saw the purple smoke escape its open wound as the enchantment was broken. The head rolled a little before it stopped, and Rose dropped the blade.

She had never killed anything before, and she found that her hand was shaking from the shock of what she had just done. The Doctor looked at her proudly and caught her in a hug. At first she was taken aback, but the realization that they were okay sank in and she wrapped her arms around him.

"Are you alright?" he asked her. She let out a shaky breath.

"Not really." She answered honestly. "Never killed anything before." She admitted. A single teat slid down her face and the Doctor took her hand.

"Hey," he said slowly. She looked at him. "You saved us." He said. She gulped and eyed him, part of her knowing he was right, and the other part overcome with guilt. It was a living thing, evil or not.

"Guess I have to get used to it." Rose whispered. "To save Albanero." The Doctor half-smiled.

"Yeah." He agreed. He placed two hands on her shoulders and gave her a little jolt. She laughed lightly and shrugged him off, more playful than angry, and then took his hand.

"Thank you." She said earnestly. He smiled. "Doctor?" she said.

"What, Rose?" he asked kindly. She blushed despite herself.

"Let's just…get out of here, yeah?" she asked. He nodded.

* * *

The King was furious. The moment he saw the werewolf's head roll he slammed the crystal ball across the room. Storming down the hallways he burst into the throne room and declared two prisoners should be executed just so he could feel like he accomplished something.

His mind was spinning rapidly. He collapsed onto the stairs by the throne and ordered the room be cleared.

He had heard about the Doctor when he first became King. The day he ascended the throne he had called for a soothsayer. He had asked her how his reign would be and she had told him everything he hoped.

"Your reign will be victorious. Your people will fear you the way you always wished they would, and you will earn the trust of your precious sister-in-law Jacquelyn." She had said. King James remembers the temporary high he felt after hearing that, until the soothsayer continued and gave him a foreboding message. "But beware," she said, "for one day you will meet a man who has seen everything offered in all of Time and Space, and he will lead you to your downfall."

"What man?" James had angrily demanded. The soothsayer merely smiled.

"A man in a blue box."

_The Doctor._

King James felt his blood boil at the mere thought of him. He had tried to have him executed and the bastard escaped. Now he was rendezvousing with Rose, his pestilent niece, and the King was beginning to feel the stab of fear. There was a prophesy, and the King was watching it unravel before his eyes. If it fell through, he knew what he would have to do. He knew his fate. And he would stop at nothing to prevent it.

* * *

"Doctor?"

Rose watched him as he set up camp. His hair glistened against the moonlight, and his suit was torn from the encounter with the werewolf. It was the first chance they really had to rest since the events at the Village, and as the fire warmed the area around them, she felt her eyes grow heavy.

Sleep was not an option, however, and she desperately wanted to talk to the Doctor, to find out just who he is. He looked up at her and gave her a smile before throwing one last log onto the fire and sitting next to her.

"Yes?" he asked. She bit her lip.

"Your ship." She began, "the… the-"

"TARDIS." The Doctor finished for her. She nodded.

"Yeah, how does it work? You talk about different planets you've been to and all the things you've seen… but how?" she asked. He grinned.

"Tell you what," he said. "Once we save the kingdom, I'll take you on a trip and show you."

Rose watched him for a moment. He looked so genuine and kind in his offer to take her with him, but she knew the prospect of leaving the kingdom once it was ridden of King James wasn't possible. It was then that the kingdom would need her most, for it was then that she would become Queen. Her mother would abdicate her position, she already knew. Rose couldn't let the idea of leaving her people behind even cross her mind, and she gave the Doctor a small smile.

"I have to stay here." She said. He looked at her carefully, but he seemed to understand what she meant and nodded.

"Of course you do." He said. He tried to keep his tone light, but both he and Rose could sense the struggle it took for him to say those words.

The Doctor inwardly kicked himself. As Rose settled down on her blanket and the light from the bonfire spilled onto her features, he took in a sharp breath. She was perfection. Radiant, brilliant, swirling, dazzling perfection. He had met thousands of humans, and not one of them held the same level of compassion and determination that Rose did. She took his breath away with her ability to do what needed to be done and not let her own emotions get the better of her. In a way, he supposed that made them alike. Except that he kept the emotions bottled up like a time bomb. Rose would let them out when she knew the moment allowed it. She gave herself the temporary purge everyone needed before she was on her way. He had seen it after the Village.

Rose was still watching him against the firelight. He sat down next to her and inhaled deeply, filling his senses with the pine. She turned a little on her back so she could get a clearer picture of his features, and she bit her lip.

He was a mysterious man. A mysteriously intriguing and completely beautiful man, and Rose couldn't get enough of him. Even with the secrets she knew he had, as evident with Gwyneth, she felt herself drawn in to everything he was and everything he shared. She wanted to know more about him. If he was to aid her, perhaps she could aid him.

"Doctor?" she asked again. He smiled. His name sounded musical coming from her lips. "Where are you from?"

"Gallifrey." The Doctor responded. Rose sat up and watched him as his jaw clenched and his eyes darkened.

"Oh." She said simply. He smiled at her and cocked his head to the side. She just wanted to know who he was, he told himself. And she was so adorable. She deserves to know, considering she's placing her entire Kingdom's fate in his hands. He nodded once.

"It was magnificent." The Doctor began.

"Was?" Rose asked.

"Yeah. It's gone now." He said. She looked down at the dirt and shook her head. "It's okay. Happened a long time ago."

"What did it look like?" Rose asked. The Doctor sighed inwardly and closed his eyes. There, as always, were the vast arrays of red and gold, pillars of marble and castles that stretched above the stars. There were the swirls of light in the sky, the smell of home to him. He saw his people, cloaked in crimson capes and gold trim, standing high above the valleys and becoming one with the horizon.

He told her all of it. Everything that made Gallifrey what it was. She was mesmerized by the flow of his words, the spark that ignited inside of him at the mere mention of his home. Her hand reached out to his and squeezed, egging him to continue and letting him know she was enveloped in what he had to say. When he finished, he opened his eyes and looked at her. She was awestruck.

"What happened to it?" she whispered, almost afraid to ask. The Doctor's expression dropped and he felt the bricks fall on his shoulders again. He couldn't tell her. Not when she was depending so heavily on him.

"There was a war." He said. "It was lost, eventually."

"I'm sorry" she said. "Doctor, I am so sorry."

Then she hugged him. Her arms snaked around his neck and she buried her face in his hair, trying to make him feel her sympathy for him. He felt it and more, and his arms wrapped around her and pulled her close to him.

"Rose…" he whispered. In this moment, he felt more whole than he had in centuries and he had no idea why. She was a human girl from a small dimension hidden within the stars. And she was capturing his hearts.

She pulled away slowly and their eyes met. Rose lost the ability to breathe as she gazed into the Doctor's swirling chocolates and when he smiled her knees turned to jell-o.

"What about Albanero?" he asked. She blinked a few times to process what he said and then smirked.

"I suppose that's fair." She said. He held her hand and watched her with the same intensity she had given him. "There used to be this lavender tint in the sky. In the mornings the birds would sing and the sun would rise, and that lavender was like a breath of fresh air. Calm, you know?" she began. He nodded and watched her take in a shaky breath. "We had fairs every day. Merchants sold everything from spices to pelts to jewels. There was bard who would come on Saturdays and sing for hours. People would dance around him like he was God. There was joy. Laughter. That inn that you passed when you arrived, it used to be the most bustling place in the entire village. The grass was green, not painted in the blood of the people…"

"King James changed it all?" the Doctor asked quietly. Rose nodded.

"I don't think he meant to. He just wanted to be king." She said bitterly. "Murder darkens your soul. Takes the good away from you, tarnishes your view on right and wrong. He's killed so many, Doctor…it won't be long before Albanero is nothing but blood and tyranny. And magic. Dark, dark, magic." Her voice was haunted and the Doctor gripped her hand, pulling her into another hug.

"Is there such a thing as good magic?" he asked. Rose sniffed.

"Of course." She said.

"This blade you want from the elves…is it good magic?" he asked.

"Yes." Rose said. "If I go after the King with dark magic…he'll just embrace it. Good always defeats evil, and I have to do the good thing and save Albanero." The Doctor grinned.

"I know you will." He said. Rose looked at him slowly, their eyes meeting once more.

"The TARDIS is all you have left, isn't it?" she whispered. He clenched his jaw.

"Yeah." He replied. Rose looked up at the sky. The stars shone bright above them, and in a way they almost reached out to her. She wondered if they spoke to the Doctor, acting as a sort of promise to him, a promise that there is more to life than what lies before him. A promise that somewhere, somehow, his home doesn't have to be so far away.

"I'd sooner die than let him take Gallifrey completely from you. Doctor, I promise." Rose urged. She was focused, determined, and the Doctor felt a rush of feelings and desires as he looked into her eyes.

He was inches from her lips when he cleared his throat. Distractions, they needed distractions.

"I believe you. And I thank you." He said. "Now let's get some sleep."

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading!


End file.
